Window-cleaning apparatus.



G. E. PRIUKETT. WINDOW CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1908.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, CLINTON E. PRIoKn'r'r, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWindow-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inwindow-cleaning apparatus of that type designed particularly for use inconnection with car Windows or the like, and which admits of the outsideof the pane being conveniently cleaned, and the invention has for itsobject a simple, durable and efficient construction of device of thischaracter, which may be advanta eously employed on the front windows ofstreet cars or the wind shields of automobiles or the like, and whichpermits the motorman to quickly remove any rain or snow accumulated uponthe window pane, so as to afford a clear view ahead, thereby avoidingaccidents and saving time and annoyance by obviating the necessity ofrunning the car slowly or stopping the car to clean the window by hand.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructionsand arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describeand then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and toacquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to behad to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating the application of myimproved windowcleaning apparatus; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionthereof, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view of the arm support; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionalView illustrating the means for locking the handle in position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

Specification of Letters Patent.

of my improved window-cleaning apparatus,

- I have shown the same attached to a portion of the stile 1 of a sash 2that is of any conventional form and provided with a pane of glass 3,the cleaning elements being mounted in front of the sash, while theoperating handle is located upon the rear side thereof, that is withinthe interior of the car, in convenient reach of the motorman.

4t designates a casing or housing which is mounted in proximity to thewindow pane 3, and in the present instance is secured to the front faceof the stile 1, preferably near the upper end thereof. The housingprojects inwardly beyond the inner edge of the stile, as indicated at4;, and extends partially over the window pane in spaced relationthereto, as will be observed by reference to Fig. 2, the housing beingclosed at its rear side through the instrumentality of a plate 5 thatcontacts with the stile and is coextensive with the projecting portion4, so

and meshes with a relatively small second gear wheel 9, the latter beingmounted upon a longitudinal spindle 10 which is journaled in theprojecting portion 4 of the housing. The rear end of the spindle isthreaded, as shown, and passes through the plate 5 and terminates inslightly spaced relation to the window pane,;a-s indicated at 13, thisend of the spindlecarrying a perpendicular arm support 11, which isretained thereon through the instrumentality of a nut 12.. The armsupport is arranged in slightly spaced relation to the window pane andhas its free end projecting beyond the portion 4* of the housing andembraced by two rearwardly disposed substantially parallel flangesformed at the side edges of a cleaning arm 15. A bolt or like fasteningelement 16 is passed through the flanges 14 intermediateof the endsthereof and also through the arm support 11, in order to connect thecleaning arm thereto in such a manner as to render Patented Dec. 1?,1909..

Application filed November 6, 1908. Serial No. 46134.6.

handle 7 which admits of the pane 3, with a flexible strip 19 of rubber,

felt, leather or other similar material which is arranged to bearagainst the window pane and is designed to be swept thereacross upon theoperation of the device in order to remove rain water, snow or otherforeign matter accumulated on the outer surface of the pane. It will bemanifest that in order to insure an effectual removal of thisaccumulated matter the wiper bar must be pressed evenly against the paneand with some force. This object is attained in the present invention byproviding an. expansion spring 20 which is seated in a socket 21provided at an intermediate point in the arm support 11 and which isinter osed between the latter and the adjacent en of the cleaning arm15, so as to exert pressure thereon ,to rock the arm about itstransverse pivot 16 and swing the opposite end of the arm rearwardlytoward the pane to yieldingly but forcibly hold the wiper barthereagainst.

For convenience the drive shaft 6 is constructed in forward and rearsections 22 and 22, the section 22 being polygonal in cross. section atits rear end and arranged to fit in acorrespondingly formed opening inthe adjacent end of the rear section 22,

to establish a telescoping and longitudinally extensible'conne'ctionbetween the parts and thus render the shaft susceptible of applicationto window stiles or other supports of diiferent thicknesses. The rearend of the section 22 projects beyond the corresponding face of thestile 1, as best seen in Fig. 3, and has the o erating handle 7 affixedto the extremity tiiereof. The projecting end of this rear sectionispreferably exteriorly threaded, as indicated at 23, and has a nut 24working thereon and arranged to be received in a cupped plate 25 that ismounted uponthe projecting end of the said section and interposedbetween the nut and the operating handle 7. The plate 25 is secured tothe rear face of the stile by screws or like fastening means, andinasmuch as the nut 24 is disposed in the cupped portion of the plateand between the same and the stile, it will be observed that the nutserves as a 'stop to maintain the section 22 against rearwardlongitudinal movement, as would result in its disengagement from theforward section then applied to the section on the opposite acent partof the framework of the car 22 and its withdrawal from position in thestile 1. In assembling'the parts the plate 25 is first slipped onthe'section 22 against the operating handle 7, the nut 24 being 0 sideof the plate from the operating handle, I

after which the forward end of the section is inserted in the opening inthe stile to. telescope with the meeting end of the forward section 22,the fastenin devices being theninserted to secure the p ate rigidlyin-position and maintain theparts against accidental displacement.

26 designates a pin which extends perpendicularly through the extremityof the operating handle 7' and is slidingly mounted therein with itsextremities termmating on opposite sides thereof. Therear end of thispin is preferably wmged to admit of'ready manipulation while the pin isformed near its forward end and in front of the handle 7 with an annulargroove 28 that is engaged by the bifurcated end of a flat spring 29secured to the operating handle as shown. The flat spring normally actsupon the pin 26 to shift thesame longitudinally forwardly and seat theforward extremity thereof in a keeper plate 27 that is secured in properosition upon the stile 1, or some other adwmdow. By virtue of th1sarrangement the parts of the cleaning apparatus are main tained rigidlyin position when not desired for use. p

In the practical use of my improved window-cleaning apparatus, whensufficient rain or other foreign matter has accumulated upon the outsideof the pane 3 to prevent the motorman from seeing the track ahead, thepin 26'is retracted from the keeper 27 to release the handle 7 whichisthen turned in the desired direction to effect the turning of'thedrive shaft 6, such movement being transmitted to the spindle l0throughthe instrumentality of the gear wheel 8 and the meshing pinion 9.Inasmuch as the arm support 11 is rigidly mounted upon the spindle, itis also turned thereby, thus sweeping the wiper bar 17 across the outersurface of the'pane 3 toeffect the cleaning of the same and render theglass again transparent.

After operation, the handle 7 is returned to its normal position and thepin released, so as to be moved by the flat spring 29 into en gagementwith the keeper 27 to sustain-the parts rigidly in position againstaccidental movement.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, itwill be apparent that I have provided an improvedwindow-cleaning apparatus which is particularly susceptible of use uponrailway cars or wind shields of automobiles or the like, since it may bequickly operated to effectually remove any matter obscuring the glass;which embodies peculiar means for holding the wiper bar 'forcibly' andevenly against the pane; which is simple and durable in construction,and which consists of comparatively few parts that may be easily andcheaply manufactured and readily assembled.

Having thus described the invention, what I a journal for the spindle, acleaning arin' pivotally connected at an intermediate point to the armsupport, a wiper bar pivotally carried at one end of the cleaning arm,means interposed between the other-end of the cleaning arm and the armsupport for rocking the former about its axis to hold the wiper baragainst the windowpane, and means for turning the spindle.

3. A window cleaning apparatus comprising an arm support, a cleaning armconnected thereto to turn about a transverse axis, a wiper bar carriedby the cleaning arm, means for rocking the cleaning arm relative to thearm support to press the wiper bar against the window pane, and meansfor actuating the arm support to sweep the wiper bar across the pane.

at. A window-cleaning apparatus comprising a spindle provided with anarm support, a journal for the spindle, a cleaning arm pivota'llyconnected at an intermediate point to the arm support, a wiper barpivotally carried at one end of the cleaning arm, an expansion springinterposed between the other end of the cleaning arm and the arm supportto rock the former about its pivot and hold the wiper bar effectually fagainst the window pane, and means for turning the spindle.

5. A window-cleaning apparatus comprising a drive shaft, provided with ahandle, a gear wheel rigidly mounted upon the drive shaft, a spindle,journals for the drive shaft and spindle, a relatively small pinionmounted upon the stub shaft and meshing with the gear wheel, the spindlebeing provided with an arm support, a cleaning arm pivotally connectedto thearm support, a wiper bar carried by the cleaning arm, and meansfor rocking the cleaning arm about its pivot to hold the wiper bareffectually against the Window pane.

6. A window cleaner embodying an arm support, a cleaning arm pivotedthereto and spr1ng-pressed to turn about its pivot, a

'wlper bar carried by the cleaning arm and held thereby against thewindow pane, and means for actuating the arm support to sweep the wiperbar across the pane.

7. A window cleaner embodying an arm support, a wiper bar, a cleaningarm pivotally connected to both the arm support and the wiper bar, meansfor turning the cleaning arm relative to the arm support to hold thewiper bar against the window pane, and means for actuating the armsupport to sweep the wiper bar across the pane.

8. A window cleaning apparatus embodying an arm support, a cleaning armformed with side flanges embracing the arm support and pivotallyconnected thereto, a wiper bar carried by the cleaning arm, means forturning the cleaning arm about its pivot to hold the wiper bar againstthe window pane, and means for actuating the I arm support tosweep thewiper bar across the same.

9. A window cleaner embodying an arm support, a wiper bar, a cleaningarm having side flanges embracing both the arm support and the wiper barand pivotally connected thereto, means for turning the cleaning armrelative to the arm support to hold the wiper bar against the windowpane, and means for actuating the arm support to sweep the wiper baracross the pane.

10. A window cleaning apparatus com prising an arm'support, a cleaningarm pivotally connected at an intermediate point thereto, a wiper barcarried at one end of the cleaning arm, means interposed between theother end of the cleaning arm and the arm support for rocking the formerrelative to the latter to hold the wiper bar against the window pane,and means for-actuating the arm support to sweep the wiper bar acrossthe pane.

11. A window cleaning apparatus comprising a drive shaft, a rotatablearm support, an operative connection between the arm support and thedrive shaft, a cleaning arm pivotally connected to the arm support,means for turning the cleaningarm relative to the arm support, a wiperbar carried by the cleaning arm and held thereby against the windowpane, and an operating handle for turning the drive shaft, the driveshaft being longitudinally extensible as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON E. PRICKETT. [L. s] l/Vitn'esses T. C. ALLISON, P. NEESON.

